Alumna Andreas Gives Career Advice to Grad Students

Fordham English alumna Dr. Susan Andreas recently lectured at the University about alt-academic careers. PhD candidate Kevin Stevens reports on the event:

On March 7 in Cunniffe House, Fordham English alumna Dr. Susan Andreas returned to Rose Hill to speak to graduate students about her employment experiences during and after her PhD. As the featured speaker of the Graduate English Association’s “What’s Next?” series, Dr. Andreas discussed completing her PhD while working part-time as a copy editor at the pharmaceutical marketing agency CDMI Connect. She explained how her part-time experiences gradually grew into a full-time position at CDMI, where Dr. Andreas continues to work as a Vice President and Editorial Director.

Dr. Andreas offered practical advice about exploring the alt-ac job market and leveraging the skills one gains within the academy to flourish outside of it. In outlining her career trajectory, Dr. Andreas emphasized the transferability of the skills she gained from her doctoral career to her editorial and managerial positions. Moreover, Dr. Andreas advised current graduate students to explore job opportunities outside of the academy: even a freelance copy-editing position, she explained, helps students network, diversify their resumes, and explore (without committing to) potential new careers.

The Graduate English Association thanks the Graduate Student Association for generously funding this event.